When They get into it
by Kloudy Reignfall
Summary: No sooner does Eclipse wonder how the council would react to his feelings for his young master does Raenef turn up missing, signaling the start of the council's nefarious plots. Shounen-ai
1. Chapter the First

When _They_ get into it  
  
A Demon Diary Fanfiction  
  
by Kloudy Reignfall  
  
Warnings and disclaimers: I don't own Demon Diary. (If you thought I did...then I'm sorry you have problems...) Also, there could be some Shounen-ai. Homohpobes beware! (Mmm... Come to think of it, Homophobes Get Out!) Um, and the name probably makes no sense for the first chapter. Um, that's it! Read on! :: Dorky Smile::Oh, and another thing: If my story sounds a lot like any other that you've read, I'm really sorry. There's only so many ways to start a fanfic.  
  
**Chapter Uno  
**  
Reading minds had its advantages and its disadvantages. At times it came in use, being able to hear what was happening in another's head, what their concerns were or why they were smiling. But mingled with those things were secrets, special things that you just weren't supposed to know. There were private thoughts...  
  
Had you ever learned something that you instantly regretted? Eclipse, in one of his moods, sighed a long sad breath, thinking this. Too often he had stumbled across some piece of information he wished not to know. Yes, he could only read "surface" thoughts, but ideas passed constantly about the human mind. (Or demon mind. Whatever.) Besides, everyone's "surface" was different.  
  
Eclipse stood beside a marble pillar and gazed out upon the grounds of the castle without a name. Near a clump of trees were the knight and the cleric. He focused his attention on Erutis.  
  
The knight, for instance, had a rather wide surface. Still on her mind were the contents of this morning's breakfast, though by now it was well past noon. It was a hot day and at the moment she lay on the grass with her hands beneath her head and her legs crossed. Something about orange sherbert and parakeets passed over the surface of her mind. _She must be asleep._  
  
It was a relief to him that her mind was so blissfully blank. More than occasionally the young swordswoman thought of things that Eclipse tried to forget. Apart from being a girl and thinknig whatever strange things they thought (_...periods_? He shuddered.) she was also far more insightful than either of the other two whose brains he had to deal with.  
  
He didn't know where she thought up some of this stuff from, but Erutis was constantly (though this might be a bit of an exaggeration...) thinking of things that Eclipse tried valiantly not to consider.  
  
Things about himself and...  
  
Things like...  
  
At this Eclipse pushed the thoughts from his head. He squeazed his eyes shut and rubbed his hands against them in a manner quite unlike himself, as if trying to rub frightening images from his sight.  
  
Donning his best mentor face (stern and slightly detached), he teleported to the library to check up on Raenef. Eclipse knew he couldn't just stand about forever and dwell. He had a, well, "Job" to do, and when in doubt it was always best to keep busy. (Even if keeping busy with said job included torturing oneself needlessly, pretending one was not madly in love with - !Ouch! ::Eclipse smacks author girl with a pineapple.::)  
  
He scanned the room and instantly found his young master. It seemed as if he'd developed radar vision for Raenef within the time they'd spent together. As Eclipse strolled over to him he tried to remember just exactly how long they had known each other for. The days since he'd first seen Raenef were all a blur, fading smoothly into one another. He thought harder...  
  
_Three years._  
  
Could they really have known each other for so long? Three years was so long, yet in the vast spectrum of things it was nothing at all.  
  
...Three years and still Eclipse didn't know what he was feeling.  
  
He came upon his lord, sleeping with his face tucked into the crook of one arm. Raenef was making little whining noises and muttering something, as usual. Eclispe leaned closer. It sounded like "BlahSomethingSomething- Mashed-Potatoes-in-the-hair-SomethingSomething..."  
  
People often wondered who dropped Raenef as a child.  
  
Despite the oddity of the situation, Eclipse couldn't take his eyes off of his young master. A shattered ray of light from one of the high library windows lit upon his face and little specs of dust danced about the beam, making Raenef look innocent and heavenly.  
  
This brought further troubles to Eclipse's mind. Raenef was a demon lord - his demon lord! - and daily you could find him romping about with his human buddies, laughing and joking, sleeping peacefully at a library table laden with untouched books. _He should be reigning in terror by now! Torturing small villages and capturing hostages! _But Eclipse even thought this half- heartedly. He knew Rae didn't want to do any of that... and neither did he...  
  
_Raenef will never be a proper Demon Lord, but what I wouldn't give to be like him! _He studied the peaceful blonde, a picture of innocence, and sighed again. Suddenly he thought _What would Aurelied think?_ Eclipse visualized the high council room, and powerful Aurelied standing tall before a menagerie of demons. _He'd die laughing if I said to him anything I am thinking now..._ And as if Aurelied had in fact been listening to Eclipse's mental conversation with himself (he can't do that, right?), a summons note fluttered in through the nearest paneless window, like a dying autumn leaf.  
  
_Well, they sure are getting creative with their presentations. Who are they trying to impress anyway?_ The note was as usual, summoning him (and **not** Raenef, though it didn't say so specifically) to a high council meeting.  
  
Again Eclipse uncharacteristically rubbed at his eyes. He had a bad feeling about this meeting. Like a dog who knows that its human isn't coming home. (Although he wasn't sure why it was like that...) Raenef yawned and startled Eclipse from his state of worry. He resumed his tutor mask and looked down upon his charge.  
  
"Not much progress, I see."  
  
Raenef smiled hopefully, green puppy dog eyes wide. "I'm sorry?"  
  
_Oh, that smile!_ Eclipse's frown faded and instead he began to look slightly amused. He couldn't tell Rae off, so he told him about the meeting. Raenef frowned (He hated for Eclipse to go off to those stupid old meetings!) but yawned sleepily.  
  
Said yawn was contagious and Eclipse felt one coming on. He stifled it and looked kindly at Raenef, who had taken to doodling drowsily on his work pages.  
  
"It's rather warm today, is it not? The humans are asleep. Perhaps you should rest for a while."  
  
Raenef blinked slowly and smiled, yawning again. "Okay." And they teleported to his room.  
  
The boy flopped gracelessly onto his elegant bed and snuggled into a cool sheet. He was nearly asleep by the time Eclipse had finished telling him what time he was leaving for the meeting and when he'd be back. He had just mentioned that he was about to go take a rest himself for a while and pictured his quarters in his mind, when Raenef's small voice spoke out.  
  
"Stay with me."  
  
It was only a question, request, almost a plea, but of course Eclipse obeyed. He sat down again on the edge of the boy's vast bed, leaning against the headboard. Turning to find Raenef already asleep, he yawned with a sudden rush of fatigue and fell back against a plush pillow. The last thing he thought before sleep took him over was a simple memory:  
  
_"Will you stay with me forever?"_  
  
Even after he was asleep, and somewhere through his dreams, he felt the prescence of the knight's mind and her ever-oppressing thought.  
  
_"When will they ever just admit it?"_  
  
**End Chapter Uno!  
**  
So, I promised myself that I wouldn't write a huge end note, but lately my self promises are not worth much. ::Erhem:: How was it? Good, I hope! I can say a lot of things about it and I could point out all my faults, but I'll let you guys do that. Huh, my readers? How bout it? Review for little old me? Anyway, I think I may continue it, if I get a bunch of reviews! ::wink wink:: (Heh. I've already written to chapter four... but I'm a little stuck...) But if I do continue it, I may not be able to type it and post it for a few weeks, or something. (I'm moving across the country. Ech. I'll be busy busy busy like a very large bee!) Um, yeah, just letting you know. Review. Email me. Read Demon Diary. Write more fanfic. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. And most importantly of all, beware me at 3:00 in the morning without an ounce of sugar! Mwhahahahaha! Eeeeeeeee! My first ficcy! I'm so proud! ::Cries in a "My baby is all grown up" imitation::


	2. Chapter the Second

Demon Diary – When _They_ get into it

By (the glorious, bigheaded, comical, and hyper) Kloudy Reignfall

Disclaimerything: Did you ever notice how when you write "Disclaimerything" it comes out lookin kinda like "Disneyland"? Well, from my hyper point of view anyway. (I don't own this manga, least not the copyrights.) Oh, by the way, sorry for any OOC. Can't help it!

Many absurdly large thanks to my reviewers!:

Naria Lacour de Fanel - I gladly give you the pineapple! Think of it as my thanks for reviewing! (By the way, I'd love to see your collection! lol)

Kawaii Thief Kitsune - Thank you so much! (And I love your work! So much! Teary eyes)

Sage (The It) - ...Thanks a lot dork! BTW I miss you all the way out there in California. This darn Georgia weather is gettin to me, sucking all the creativity outta me!

My annonymous reviewers - Thanks to you guys too! You know who you are. Sadly though, I don't.

Kara - (though she'll obviously never read it) for creating our lovely manga in the first place.

And everyone else who deserves my sincere thanks. Sorry I'm such a scatterbrain!

**Chapter 2**

Someone stirred. Eclipse opened his eyes slowly and sighed sleepy contentment. His cheek rested softly against Raenef's neck, and the boy's hair tickled his nose. He could feel the steady pulse beneath his skin. It was a peaceful sort of calm and Eclipse nearly fell back to sleep before his conscience unearthed itself.

He tensed suddenly with panic. A need came upon him to be out of this position and away from an awkward situation, but even stronger was the need not to wake his master. And mingled with the heart-stopping fear was something else... A fluttering little pleasure that Eclipse tried not to recognize.

He regulated his breathing and thought frantically for a way to get out without disturbing his lord. Raenef squirmed and twisted his face around. With their lips barely inches apart, Eclipse felt his heartbeat quicken again. By now a worry in his mind was less of how not to disturb Rae than whether or not he should react to the steadily breathing face so near his.

This feeling... He shuddered at this feeling and his heartbeat and his breathe. What was this feeling? What was this fast-paced fear? Why did he suddenly and desperately want to...

...to...kiss him?

And in a moment of thoughtlessness, he did.

It was a brief soft sign of affection for his sleeping prince. Raenef's eyelids fluttered and opened, but by that time he was alone in the vast chamber. He cast a glance about but, finding nobody, sighed disappointedly. Closing his eyes he went back to sleep in an attempt to catch the dream.

His frantic "go" had taken Eclipse to an outside corridor not far from his own rooms. He thought he'd go now to change for the council meeting, but something caught his eye.

The moon was beautiful tonight. It was perfectly paralleled in dark and light opposition, but even the shadowed half shone brightly. The simple beauty was reminiscent of something...

A shadow moved in the corner of Eclipse's sight, interrupting his thoughts.

"Show yourself," he demanded. The human shadow proved to be that of Erutis, and he calmed, but less than you would think. He'd never completely relax around her, especially not while he was in such a paranoid state. "What are you doing at this time of night?" he asked accusingly.

She answered in simple. "Moongazing," she told him. It took her attention and she looked skyward, continuing to speak in a dreamy voice she only used when something troubled her. "I couldn't sleep so I came out here for some fresh night air." Erutis turned back to the demon, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "...What are you doing?"

Eclipse instantly said what came natural to him: "It is none of your business, knight." It seemed rude, but both knew that it was not unfriendly, simply tired and rehearsed. She quietly muttered "Oh" and thought of her next question. He knew what she was going to say before it was formed in her mouth. He would have known even without reading her thoughts. Eclipse turned away to deter the question, but it didn't work.

"Were you just with Raenef?" It was a casual enough question, but it held curious importance. Eclipse debated about what to say. What would be the point in denying it, especially to that damned intuitive knight? There was none, yet it was what he wanted to do... Fighting off the urge to live in denial, Eclipse decided that there was no time like the present. One simple word would mean such a lot to both himself and the nosy Erutis.

Eclipse cast his eyes down, almost as if in shame, and answered quietly. "Yes."

"Oh." A few seconds of awkward silence followed. Suddenly she changed tone. "Hey, don't you have a meeting to go to?" She registered the look of astonishment on Eclipse's face and said, "Yeah, you do. I have an idea. We can talk tomorrow when you get home, okay?" And without waiting for an answer of any sort she nodded and walked away.

Eclipse blinked several times and went to his room to change.

............................................................................................

...As per usual, Aureleid was droning on in his 'far too important for normal speech' voice. And for once, Eclipse was not attending to his spiel. No matter how many humans the royals employed to fight in this particular war, the demons would (as always) win and the whole thing would straighten itself out. The same could not be said for the situation upon which he dwelled. He remained in a standstill in his decision of what to do about Raenef and himself. And who was even to say if there was anything to be done? Perhaps Eclipse was overreacting to the entire thing. Perhaps –

"Eclipse!"

Aureleid's roar got his attention. Wide-eyed, Eclipse bowed his head and muttered an apology to the demon lord master. He tried desperately to recall exactly what the council's meeting was about, but to no avail: He'd been too lost in his own thoughts. Aureleid could see that.

"Master Eclipse, may I enquire as to what holds you so engrossed that you cannot pay proper attention to such an important assessment?" His heart jumped. What should he say? The truth was always better than a lie, however in this case perhaps it was best to lead into it slowly. A vague answer will suit for the moment. "I hold concern for my duties."

Aureleid laughed cold an hard. "As would I, were I in your position. Luckily I am not." He paused dramatically to let the insult soak in, then continued. "That brings me to my next point of discussion – Lord Raenef V."

Eclipse's head snapped up in full attention. What could this be about? He had the idea that this was from where he got the feeling earlier.

Aureleid kept talking. "That... boy... is a complete disgrace to us all. He is as far from a demon lord as one could imagine. Likely farther. His skills and abilities are adequate to say the least, but his manner is making a joke us!" He turned his speech on Eclipse. "Is it not true that he has befriended no less than two humans, who now freely roam his house, and recently helped protect a nearby village during an attack on them by another demon lord?"

Eclipse wanted badly to explain. Erutis served as head of their guard knights, and Chris was still with them in an agreement with the High Cleric. Though these excuses were not exactly true they would work. But there was absolutely no denying or explaining Raenef's choice to assist the village under siege. Even Eclipse was uncertain as to why he did it, except for that Rae was just too peaceful. There was no way out of this one. He said, "That is correct, sir," solemnly, to a smirk from the other demon.

The other demons around the room looked mildly amused and successful. Devils! How long have they been conspiring?! Aureleid continued again.

"We cannot have disgraces representing us!" Eclipse didn't like where this was heading. "We must do something about it!" Really not like this... "I propose" insert dramatic pause here "that we dispose of him!"

There was a muttered agreement around the room. In a state of shock, Eclipse looked down and absently picked one of Raenef's thin blonde hairs from his robe. He looked up again.

Aureleid was smiling widely. "Eclipse, I really don't know how you can stand to be near that monstrosity! Are you not thrilled by our decision?" Aureleid's eyes were bright with emotion.

Anxious, frustrated, hurt tears tried to well up behind Eclipse's eyes, but his social self preservation stopped them. Regardless, he didn't know what to say to Aureleid, who still waited for a response. Hell! He didn't even know what to think. Nearly the entire group of demon lords wanted his master dead. His master who he served loyally, who he trusted, who he... (Admit it, you idiot! ::Eclipse bludgeons author girl with a bottle of vanilla coke, having given away the pineapple.::) who he loved. Eclipse did several very un-Eclipse-like things in one moment.

"H-he is my... my master," he stuttered, his eyes wide and his mouth open. "I... I do not understand why you want to... to kill my lord..."

It was time for Aureleid to look confused. "You do not understand? I for one, thought that you, of all people, would understand our reasoning." He stopped, thought to himself for a moment, and laughed at a preposterous thought. "Or has your beloved young lord been rubbing off on you?" A look of malicious frustration passed over his face.

Eclipse gasped at this. He understands! Aureleid knows, knows of my love for Raenef! And he knew he had to say something to convince him otherwise. He assumed his straightest face and looked the demon master in the eye.

"No, my lord! Of course I understand." His traitorous tounge was dripping with guilt. (Not literally.) "I was simply trying to comprehend your reasons for wanting to eliminate the Raenef line. It is very important, is it not?"

Aureleid's answer made Eclipse regret having said this.

Aureleid smiled wider than one would think possible. "Yes, Eclipse, you bring up a good point. The Raenef line is indeed one of the most important of the demon lord lines, and that is why our Raenef V must first have an heir."

If anything that had been said previously unsettled Eclipse, then he was positively shaking with nerves at this statement. His body told him of shock with rigid shoulders and a shiver than ran through his spine and down into the pit of his very uneasy stomach.

He stared open-mouthed at the others, not even attempting to conceal his disgust. He thought for a moment about what he might say in response, and when he at last spoke it was the truth. "I doubt how successful you will be with that, my lord..."

Aureleid cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, I have noticed a general lack of enthusiasm in that... area." Again he cast a mischevious glance toward the lesser demon. Eclispe wished with all his concentrated thoughts that he would stop doing that. It made him nervous to no end, wondering just what that look meant. "Why do you think this is, Eclipse?"

..."I do not know."

Turning his head about in mock confusion, Aureleid silently accused Eclipse with what he did not say. "No? I would think that you would know everything about your master. Hmm. No matter. He will have a child if we wish him to." And with that his speech seemed over. The other demons, unconcerned with the death of an innocent, began to leave. Aureleid, however, strolled up to Eclipse's side.

"Oh, my. Your heart is beating so fast. Poor Eclipse, what seems to be the matter?" His false smiled faded into a genuine look of hatred as he turned the silent demon's chin toward him with a long sharp nailed claw. "Do not, Eclipse, tell your sweet Raenef a word of this meeting. Because there are fates worse than death, as I'm sure you'll know. I'll be in touch."

Without a word more, he left, leaving Eclipse in the middle of an empty hall, staring blankly and drowning in his thoughts.

**End Chapter 2**

::Eclipse searches for a more lethal weapon with which to bludgeon annoying author girl next time.::

"Hey now, none of that!"

::Smack!::

"Well, aren't we edgy today?" To the crowd,"::Sigh:: Demons these days!"

Ugh, well. It is another chapter, is it not? I won't say anything about it really. It was alright, I suppose. (But I'm running low on ideas and spend all my time reading stuff instead. My bad! Don't tell!) I do however promise another chapter (eventually) as I've already written it. (Must now find time... Gah! I need more time!)

As always - REVIEW! ...please! Oh, suggestions are always welcome too! (Desperation comes out.)


	3. Chapter the Third

**When _They_ get into it**

By Kloudy Reignfall

Wow, I acutally posted a third chapter! Kudos for me! Geez, I don't know what happened with this story. I just... faded away from it, if that makes any sense. But I kept getting occaisonal random reviews for it, so I decided to post the rest of what I have written. And so here it is:

Btw, just to get things clean, I don't own Demon Diary, and this is obviously shounen-ai. There, the typical warnings and stuff.

Read on!

**Chapter Three**

The sun peeked through the trees at the east side of the nameless castle. Erutis stretched and stepped down onto the pathway that led her on her morning walk. However, she didn't get very far along in her journey before she came upon a tall black-haired demon named Eclipse.

"And about time too," she said with a smile. "I was just about to go looking for you!" 'Now I can finally get some answers out of him!'

The dark-haired one continued to walk stiffly ahead. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He wanted to… Eclipse thought for a moment. He really didn't want to do anything, but divulging his deepest secrets to a nosy knight was quite low on his list. She didn't get the clue.

"So have you come to any sort of decision?" she asked. When he didn't give an answer, the frustrated knight grabbed hold on his sleeve in attempt to catch his attention. (Bad idea, Erutis!)

The angry demon snatched his hand away and slapped the girl across the face.

"I…I…" Eclipse stuttered. _Demons do not stutter! And they certainly don't apologize to humans! _Then again, demons don't fall in love with their masters either, do they? But they have. _Oh, who cares about 'What demons do'?!_ It took a lot of effort, but finally Eclipse muttered to Erutis's feet, "I'm sorry."

She forced a smile, though her face still hurt like a bitch from the demon's flat-handed slap. Erutis understood how frustrated he must be over his predicament. Despite her slight distrust, she asked calmly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Eclipse nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, not trusting his voice to speak, not trusting his hands to behave. The two walked in silence through the mist for a few minutes, until Erutis had decided the best place to begin. She was choosing her words carefully. Eclipse was in a mood, that was for sure (he would never touch a person if he could help it) and there was no telling what he would do. "Let's start from the beginning…"

The beginning? It must be when I first met him… Eclipse smiled faintly. As if he forgot to whom he spoke, he began to talk, staring off into the distance. "We saw each other three times that day. That is supposed to mean destiny, did you know?" He laughed a little. "He told me that himself. He always tells me little things like that, little things that don't matter. But I love to hear him talk. I just love to see him, to be near him, to make sure he's happy…"

Erutis was surprised at this admittance. Eclipse, proud and strong, really was in love with his hapless little master. You could tell just from the look in his eyes that what he felt was true. And what's more, he admitted it. To Erutis! She thought about how peculiar and horrible this must be for Eclipse, and her heart melted for the old demon. Even if he was a demon, even if he did constantly threaten her, she knew that Eclipse had feelings and a fragile, beating heart. She turned back up to him, listening intently to his story.

He talked. He told Erutis of his first meeting with Raenef, of their somewhat rocky start, of the trials that have come since then. He described to her the first day he realized there was something about him. He talked of his beautiful innocence, of the fluttering effect the boy had on his heart, and of how peaceful he looked when he slept. Eclipse spoke on in a dream world, but amidst the glorious memories, it seemed almost a sad dream world. For every word he said of Raenef, he remembered his doubt. Raenef would never love him. This depressing thought, though, he kept to himself.

Erutis listened attentively. Before this Eclipse had never so much as uttered one personal word to her, and now here he was spilling his pathetic love story. She had thought he hated her. But maybe this was just too extreme a feeling not to need to tell someone. Eclipse continued talking, but his tone had changed and caught her attention again.

"Devils! If it was only his love I had to worry about, maybe it would be alright. But…" He stopped, his speech and his walk. Sitting on the grassy slope they had been wandering, which was still moist with morning dew, he put his head in his hands.

Politely and quietly, Erutis lowered herself to his side on the damp lawn. And he continued, though is voice was strained. "Nobody would understand. As unbefitting as it is for him to be lord, it is even more so for me to love him. They wouldn't understand…"

Erutis sighed and almost put a hand on the demon's shoulder to comfort him, but thought better of it. She chose words instead. "Eclipse, it doesn't matter what _they_ feel! As long as you know what you feel, and what Raenef feels, then it'll be ok."

He shook his head, convinced of his problem. "But they hate him. I can feel their disgust when they are near! It's so tangible. And I think… I think they plan to kill him…!" And suddenly he was babbling, telling the knight the whole entire meeting, from the insinuated warnings to the clearly revealed plans and opinions of his fellow demons. Erutis stared disbelievingly, but she knew he wouldn't lie, not about something like this.

"And they want him to have an heir! A child with some random woman. I don't think he would agree, and I told them so. They seemed determined however. They are oddly serious about this. I fear something is going on…" He was silent now, but through the deafening quiet of the dissipating fogs and mists Erutis caught one small sad word: "Heir…" They sat looking out at the grounds for a while as the sun rose up into the sky, signifying the start of a new day. Each was absorbed into their own thoughts, though they were the same.

……………………………

Rae woke with a yawn, blinking the bright morning light from his eyes. It was a nice morning, but he'd been having the most wonderful dream. He smiled to himself as he recalled the glorious details.

It had been one of those blurry jumbled dreams, the kind in which nothing was clear except himself … and Eclipse. Still he could feel the warn body pressed against his, and the taste of his lips. Raenef shook his head and, stretching, stepped from his bed.

Something was on his bedside table.

What's this? He picked up the slip of paper and scanned it. _A summons note? Yay! I never get to go to these! _Smiling broadly, Raenef skipped from his room to find Eclipse, as always forgetting that he could teleport.

………………………………

"Wow, what a deal…" Erutis was staring at the sunrise that had burnt the mist away. _Geez! Poor Eclipse is in for some serious shit… _She thought quietly for a moment, and then turned to look him in the eye. "You have to tell him."

Red-violet eyes widened. "Tell him what?"

Erutis looked a little doubtful. "Well, everything. About Aureleid's plans and all. About you." Eclipse flinched and the knight looked up. "Here's your chance."

The blonde appeared next to Eclipse's shoulder, grinning. "Look, Eclipse," holding out a paper for him to grab. "We're invited to a meeting!"

Eclipse scanned it hastily. "Yes, about that…" Eclipse hesitated, thought about Erutis's urging. "…You'll have to go alone. This is a specific invitation for you," he said, indicating the paper being crushed in his palm.

Erutis sighed angrily. Raenef sighed disappointedly. "Alone?" he asked.

Eclipse grimaced at the look on his lord's face. _I really must tell him, mustn't I? What will Aureleid say to him? What will he do? What if he tells him about me, or puts him under a spell or-_

"Erhem!" Another demon stood off to the side expectantly. "I was told to escort Master Raenef to the Council Meeting."

All four of our original characters (for Chris had just wandered onto the scene, oblivious as usual) blinked. Eclipse turned slowly back to Raenef, focused again. Or at least enough so as to appear calm. "I suppose you should make yourself ready, my lord," he suggested.

Raenef gnawed on his lower lip. "Okay…" he went off to change and Eclipse studied the escort demon.

He tried to read his mind but found nothing, a wall in his way. This demon, he concluded, was strong enough, but absolutely normal. Perhaps he should have been relieved, but was anybody ever relieved when all seemed well? Eclipse watched with strained eyes as Rae approached the stranger/escort and smiled goodbye to his mentor. Then he walked away and, within too short a moment, was gone.

A feeling of despair came over Eclipse suddenly. It was a chill running down his spine, a feeling like he'd never be warm again. Like Raenef was his fire, and now his fire was gone.

He sighed and turned away to wander off back up to the castle. There was nothing to do but wait.

Chris, the newest addition to the group that morning, turned to Erutis. "What was all that about?"

The knight shook her head. "It's a long story, and I hardly understand it… But I think we're going to need your help, so I might as well tell you what I know."

**End Chapter Three**

Quick random note: Anybody wanna make a guess as to what's gonna happen?! Do any of you know who _They_ are? (As in the _They_ from the title...) Ha, I wish I could change the name of the story, but I'm fresh outta ideas for a new title. lol.

Not all that great of a chapter, but it's something eh? Anyway, I do have an idea for where this story is going, or could be going anyway. Maybe if I get enough pestering reviews I'll write some more. But as I've said, I just kind of got sucked into other things. And school. Darn, I hate school. Such a pain. Really. Leaves me no time for writing. Anyway, review if you want more. Review if you don't want more. Review for any reason! :-D  
Oh, and then you should read my other stories! (Lol, don't we all love shameless advertisement?) They aren't demon diary, but they are shounen-ai from a couple of my other favorite fandoms. :) Thanks a bunch, and see ya later!


	4. Chapter the Fourth

When _They_ get into it 

By Kloudy Reignfall

Disclaimers and all that: Who needs these stupid things? Really, I mean I think we all know that I don't own Demon Diary, and you should also know by now that this is a shounen-ai story. Disclaimers are such an insult to the intelligence. :sigh: Oh well.

Hey, I've finished another chapter! And this is the longest one so far! I'm so proud of myself! Although I'm incredibly angry at myself for taking so long getting around to it! Anyway, I think I've finally gotten back into the groove of this story, at least more than I had been previously. I apologize to anybody that was waiting for this story. I was in a major slump! I'm so sorry! Anyway, here's the fourth chapter, so have fun.

Chapter the Fourth

Raenef walked silently beside his escort, his mind half filled with excited anticipation for the meeting, but also thinking about something else. A look he might have seen in the eyes of his companions as he left. What was that look? _Aggravation_? No, that wasn't the word… _Arbitration_? What _was_ that anyway? Was it _apprehension_ perhaps? Yeah, that could have been it.

Their looks were slightly apprehensive. Almost scared. And Eclipse looked so desperately sad. Raenef didn't think he'd really ever seen the older demon look that way. Hardly ever did he wear a face not calm and collected. Obvious emotion other than anger and maybe the occasional bit of pride never really crossed his face. But this sadness was so obvious.

Seeing Eclipse that way was horrible. It filled Rae with such a sorrow as he never knew. And suddenly he was apprehensive of his journey too. It wasn't anywhere as exciting now as it had been before. He'd much rather be back home, comforting Eclipse and coaxing that cheerless look from his eyes.

Lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice the guide demon stop until he ran into him.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "I wasn't paying attention and I-"

A strong hand came out of nowhere and clamped itself over Raenef's mouth. He gasped and struggled against the body behind him, trying to scream, trying to fight, but his captor held him tightly. In this mess of panic, no coherent thoughts crossed Rae's mind. Frantic emotions and distorted imagines ran rampant until they all blurred together in a haze and he collapsed in a state of semi-conscious shock, unable to speak, see, or hear, only vaguely aware of a tiny voice in the back of his head.

……………………………….

Eclipse shivered suddenly. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood up, a sign that something was wrong. He wanted so badly to do something about it, but it was little use. He'd been on edge all day and just because he suddenly got a bad feeling didn't give him an excuse to freak out.

He really tried to convince himself that everything was okay, but sitting here just worrying about it was driving Eclipse out of his stressed-out mind.

Luckily, Erutis was being rational. She had explained the whole situation, as far as she knew it, to Chris and now the two humans were trying to devise a plan.

"First of all, we aren't even sure that Rae really was kidnapped," Erutis stated. "Would Aurelied really be that reckless, to just take Rae without any planning?" She looked to Eclipse for any sort of help.

Eclipse sighed in frustration. "Yes, he would be that reckless. But he isn't. The council _has_ been planning; didn't you listen to anything I said?"

Erutis and Chris continued to brainstorm. "So, I guess we should figure out where they took him to first, right? Do you have any idea, Eclipse?" Chris asked.

The demon growled. "Don't you think that if I had any idea where Raenef was that I'd be there searching for him!" He balled his hands into fists and stomped off to pace around somewhere farther from those two. Every word those humans said made him angrier and angrier. He knew that it wasn't their fault, but he was just so irritated. Something was so obviously wrong, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Resting his head in his hands, he sat roughly down on a stone step of the castle. Raenef's castle. But whose castle would it be if Raenef never returned? Raenef had no will that left his belongings to any particular person. He had no wife, or children, or even an announced beloved to whom he could leave his property. Did that mean that it would all go to Eclipse? It was the most logical of decisions if -

_No! Why am I thinking this way? Thinking as if Raenef's already dead. This is no good… _

He picked his head up out of his hands and jumped about a foot in the air when he saw the person sitting beside him.

"My, my, Eclipse. A little jumpy today, aren't we?"

Eclipse shot a very nasty look at Krayon as he hastily backed away from the other demon. "I would appreciate if you not bother me at this moment," he said, voice dripping with annoyance and hatred, badly disguised as politeness. "If you're looking for the knight, she's in the back gardens with the cleric."

Krayon's eyes flashed quickly, perhaps at Eclipse referring to his dear Erutis as "the knight" or maybe at his mentioning that she and Chris were together. But in an uncharacteristic show of responsibility he put it aside for the moment and addressed Eclipse again.

"Actually, that's not the reason I came here today," he informed Eclipse. "I meant to ask you a question." When he got nothing more than a mildly irritated stare from the other, Krayon continued. "Have you, by chance, lost a little blonde demon lord lately?"

The surprise on the dark demon's face must have been shockingly apparent because suddenly Krayon was wearing a massively manipulative grin. "Oh, you have, haven't you? I'd thought so…"

Eclipse was shaking with both hope and anger. He almost launched himself at the foppish demon lord before him in a frustrated attempt to get some information. Perhaps he could strangle the news out of him. But that would do no good, and he knew it. So Eclipse settled for asking as calmly as he could, though it wasn't very calm at all and Krayon could tell, "What do you know of Raenef!"

Krayon grinned even wider. How he loved making Eclipse squirm. It was nearly impossible, and now that he'd found an easy way, hell if he was going to give in without having a little fun first.

"Why so worried, Eclipse?" he teased. "Are you afraid your little lord can't take care of himself? Or do you just miss him that much?"

He didn't know what had happened, but the next second Krayon was on the ground, his back pressing uncomfortably into one of the hard stone steps. A rather edgy Eclipse was pinning him where he lay, a dangerous look in his eyes. Krayon tried to taunt him, but in this position it didn't seem as if it would work very well. And besides, it didn't sound like a very good idea; Eclipse was pretty strong in his rage, and he wasn't even using his powers. Indeed, it was like he'd forgotten he _had_ them.

Krayon sighed heavily in defeat. "Bloody hell, you're serious about this, aren't you? Fine, I'll help you." With that, Eclipse let go of the demon lord and stood up, looking somewhat perplexed at his own behavior.

Krayon rolled his eyes. "Poor clueless thing, you. Victim to your own emotions." He shook his head as he stood up and brushed himself off. "Ah, but what can be done? I suppose love does that to a person."

Eclipse narrowed his eyes and looked ready to attack again. "Are you going to help, or not?" he asked.

"I said I was going to, didn't I?" Krayon twirled a lock of hair around one finger, contriving to look bored.

"Well then, where is he?" Eclipse asked with as much patience as he could muster.

Krayon drilled his fingers on his side, looking deep in thought. "You know, I'm not quite sure." He caught another Eclipse's glares and explained himself quickly. "Well, I mean I'm not positive. I only felt him in a dream, you know. It seemed that he was far away."

Eclipse thought for a moment. He didn't understand exactly how Krayon's powers worked, but he knew that it had to do with a person's dreams. So, did that mean that Raenef was asleep?

"Find him again," Eclipse commanded, fixing his stony gaze on the demon lord before him.

Krayon almost seemed to hesitate. "I can't," he told Eclipse, tensing. "He's already woken up again."

Closing his eyes, Eclipse folded his arms and put his head down in thought. Krayon watched the other demon warily. But he could see that Eclipse wasn't so much angry as frustrated and worried. It was apparent that he really was afraid for his Raenef. Krayon smiled a slight bit, recalling how it felt to be so madly in love and not realize it. It was interesting to see someone else in that position, although it was worse than hell to be in that situation yourself. And suddenly he felt for Eclipse and wished he could help.

Calling up what he could of Raenef's dream, Krayon sifted through the thoughts and feelings. Yes, he was definitely far away. Somewhere… Was it south? Yes, somewhere south of here.

"South," he said, and it jolted Eclipse out of his thoughtful trance.

"He's in the South?" Eclipse asked hopefully.

"Somewhere south of here," Krayon affirmed. "I'm not sure where though."

Eclipse nodded determinedly and stepped off to find Erutis and Chris. The other demon followed him.

"Chris, use your head for once!" Erutis was shouting. "Why would they take him to East? That's where all the clerics are! God, you're dense."

"Well he went to East once," Chris defended. "So why wouldn't he go again?"

Erutis rolled her eyes. "That was because he was young and stupid then. Not that he's gotten any better, but he's not going by himself this time, and I doubt the other demon lords will be stupid enough to take him someplace like that! Why don't we check the West? Maybe they took him to Kontreo."

Eclipse stood still for a moment, watching the humans bicker senselessly. Neither seemed to notice him, so absorbed they were into their own argument. When he realized that they weren't going to quit fighting any time soon, he said calmly and quietly, "He is in the South."

The two humans stopped talking instantly. They turned too him in surprise, as if they'd forgotten that he was around.

Erutis raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you know that?"

"Lord Krayon kindly informed me," he replied.

Erutis tried to suppress a shudder. "…So, _he_ was here?"

"I still am, my love," he answered from behind Eclipse. "I apologize for not coming to visit with you sooner! I had a bit of business to attend to with Eclipse."

Erutis glared at him. However, he didn't seem to notice. "Right, so let's be going!" he said happily.

Chris frowned. "Does this scenario seem a little familiar to any of you?" he asked.

Erutis nodded. "Yeah, how many times have we had to go searching for Raenef anyway? He sure does have a knack for getting himself lost. Although I suppose it's not really his fault this time, is it?" she added as an afterthought.

Eclipse groaned. "Perhaps I should just go alone."

"Hey now!" Erutis reprimanded. "None of that! We're going with you. _I'm_ going with you anyway."

Chris jumped up to the ready. "You're not leaving me here by myself," he exclaimed. "This castle is boring as hell when it's empty."

"I shall follow you to the ends of the earth, Erutis, my love!" Krayon proclaimed proudly.

Eclipse shook his head, resigned to the stupidity, but wishing nothing more than for it to end quickly. "I am leaving shortly," he informed them, "and if you wish to come along, I suggest you ready yourselves quickly." He turned away from the others as they headed back off to the castle to prepare for what looked to be a rather long journey.

Sighing softly, Eclipse tried to imagine Raenef at the moment, hoping that he was all right. He tried not to think of the possibilities, or of the things Aureleid had told him. Eclipse was determined that it would not come to that; he'd rescue Raenef before anything could happen to him and they'd live together forever, Aureleid be damned.

**End Chapter the Fourth **

Wasn't that so much fun! Lol sure it was. Hahaha. Anyway, there you have it, the fourth chapter. Yay! I haven't written the fifth chapter or anything yet, but I'll see if I can get around to it pretty quick. You know, reviews certainly help.  
Oh yeah, and THANKS to all my reviewers! I love all of your reviews! And some of them are pretty insightful too! I like when people guess what's going to happen. Heh, I don't mean to make the story that predictable, but whatever. :smiles: Thanks a bunch for pestering me to write, and please continue to pester me as much as you see fit!  
'Til next time!  
-Kloudy Reignfall


End file.
